In turbine engines, a stationary outlet guide vane (generally referred to as a TEC or turbine exhaust casing) is installed to increase pressure by removing voracity from the outflow, thereby improving propulsive efficiency. More recent engine architectures attach considerable importance to the use of the thinnest possible outlet guide vanes that have blades having comparatively short chord lengths. In particular, when the outlet guide vane is configured as what as generally referred to as a MiniTec, comparatively high blade numbers are required, thereby necessitating very narrow designs including short chord lengths and thin profiles for the individual blades. The blades are typically manufactured from two curved sheet-metal halves that are welded together.
The optimal profile shape of such blades can only be realized, however, by using further post-machining steps that entail considerable expenditure of time and cost. These post-machining steps, which are required to form precise profile shapes, are, therefore, partly eliminated. However, this leads to flow losses and corresponding efficiency losses during operation of an associated turbine engine due to weld seams at the leading edges of the blades or other design deviations.